our daily bread
Dexu Xia
Judging Origins
The Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah. Judges 11:29
“Where are you from?” We often use that question to get to know someone better. But for many of us, the answer is complicated. Sometimes we don’t want to share all the details.
In the book of Judges, Jephthah might not have wanted to answer that question at all. His half-brothers had chased him out of his hometown of Gilead for his “questionable” origins. “You are the son of another woman,” they declared (Judges 11:2). The text says starkly, “His mother was a prostitute” (v. 1).
God uses those who listen to His calling and respond in faith. How might He use you?
But Jephthah was a natural leader, and when a hostile tribe picked a fight with Gilead, the people who had sent him packing suddenly wanted him back. “Be our commander,” they said (v. 6). Jephthah asked, “Didn’t you hate me and drive me from my father’s house?” (v. 7). After getting assurances that things would be different, he agreed to lead them. The Scripture tells us, “Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah” (v. 29). Through faith, he led them to a great victory. The New Testament mentions him in its list of heroes of the faith (Hebrews 11:32).
God so often seems to choose the unlikeliest people to do His work, doesn’t He? It doesn’t matter where we’re from, how we got here, or what we’ve done. What matters is that we respond in faith to His love.
Lord, we take great comfort knowing that You don’t show favoritism based on where we’re from. Our heritage is found in You. Thank You for adopting us into Your family.
Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. Matthew 19:30
莫问出身
耶和华的灵降在耶弗他身上。-士师记11章29节
有时为了了解对方，我们会询问对方的出身或家庭背景。但对我们许多人来说，答案也许相当复杂。有些时候，我们并不想让人知道所有的细节。在士师记里，耶弗他或许也一样，根本就不愿意提到自己的家庭背景。他那些同父异母的兄弟因着他充满争议的出身，而将他赶离家乡基列。他们说：“因为你是妓女的儿子。”（士师记11章2节）
然而，耶弗他是个天生的领袖，当一个充满敌意的族群来攻击基列时，那些先前将他赶走的人却突然要他回来。他们说：“请你来作我们的元帅”（6节）。耶弗他反问说：“从前你们不是恨我，赶逐我出离父家吗？”（7节）耶弗他确定他们不会再像过去那样对待他之后，便同意带领他们。圣经告诉我们：“耶和华的灵降在耶弗他身上”（29节）。耶弗他藉着信心，带领他们取得胜利，新约圣经还将他列为信心的伟人之一（希伯来书11章32节）。
上帝常常拣选看似最不可能的人来完成祂的工作，不是吗？重要的不是我们的出身，也不是我们过去的经历，更不是我们做了些什么。重要的是我们以信心回应祂的爱。
主啊，知道祢不看我们的出身， 令我们感到极其安慰。我们是祢的后嗣， 谢谢祢接纳我们进入祢的家中。
有许多在前的，将要在后；在后的，将要在前。
–马太福音19章30节